Florida Water Science Center

USGS Research on Florida's Isolated Freshwater Wetlands

By Arturo E. Torres, Kim H. Haag, Terrie M. Lee, and Patricia A. Metz

Introduction

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has
studied wetland hydrology and its effects on
wetland health and ecology in Florida since the
1990s. USGS wetland studies in Florida and
other parts of the Nation provide resource managers
with tools to assess current conditions
and regional trends in wetland resources.

Wetland hydrologists in the USGS
Florida Water Science Center (FLWSC)
have completed a number of interdisciplinary
studies assessing the hydrology, ecology,
and water quality of wetlands. These
studies have expanded the understanding
of wetland hydrology, ecology,
and related processes including: (1) the
effects of cyclical changes in rainfall and
the influence of evapotranspiration; (2)
surface-water flow, infiltration, groundwater
movement, and groundwater and surfacewater
interactions; (3) the effects of water
quality and soil type; (4) the unique biogeochemical
components of wetlands required to
maintain ecosystem functions; (5) the effects of
land use and other human activities; (6) the influences
of algae, plants, and invertebrates on environmental
processes; and (7) the effects of seasonal
variations in animal communities that inhabit or visit
Florida wetlands and how wetland function responds
to changes in the plant community.

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